For over sixteen years, we have opened the gates of Rastafari Indigenous Village (RIV)—not to entertain, but to welcome. Not to perform, but to remember. Nestled beside the Montego Valley River, our Village has stood as a living, breathing embodiment of Afro-Indigenous wisdom. A place where drumming carries prayers, plants become sacraments, and the land is not a backdrop—but a teacher, a healer, and a relative.
We Are Not a Tourist Destination — We Are a Living Vibration
Those who come here—who truly arrive with open hearts and reverence—do not just visit. They return. To the soil. To the self. To a deeper way of living.
Here, healing is not a service. It is a sacred exchange.
We share our Ital food.
We tend ancestral gardens.
We bathe in the river’s blessings.
We sit in circle and open space for truths too often silenced.
We live the rhythm of One Love, and we offer that rhythm to the world.
A Disruption to the Sacred Rhythm
But today, that rhythm has been disrupted.
A government-sanctioned road project has carved its way through the forest near our home:
- Trees that once held ancestral memory have been stripped away.
- River access, once free and flowing, is now restricted.
- The soundscape—the music of the land that guides our ceremonies—has been altered.
The energetic balance we’ve carefully nurtured for years now trembles under the weight of machines and development. What we hold sacred is being shaken.
We Remain Rooted in the Mission
We are currently in dialogue with the government, and we are grateful that our voice is being heard. Still, the reality on the ground remains clear:
- Our ability to host retreats and sacred gatherings has been compromised.
- The resources to care for our families, our land, and our mission are stretched thin.
- The continuity of this sacred space hangs in delicate balance.
And yet, we remain grounded. We remain in the vibration that life is a ceremony.
We continue to walk in our tradition, upheld by the belief that sacred space is not just a location—it is a calling.
Our Story Has Been Witnessed
Our journey was recently captured in the April edition of DoubleBlind Magazine:
How a Rasta Village Reclaimed Psychedelics on Its Own Terms
This piece speaks to:
- The sacred nature of the plants we work with
- Our commitment to ancestral and African healing traditions
- The ways we bridge Indigenous knowledge with the needs of a modern, disconnected world
We encourage you to read it and sit with the truth that healing cannot be mass-produced. It must be lived. It must be protected.
A Call to Stand With Us
As we prepare to navigate this uncertain moment, we are launching a call for support. In the coming weeks, we will release a GoFundMe campaign to help:
- Sustain the Village and support our community
- Restore what has been damaged
- Relocate if needed, with intention and care
If you feel called to stand with us, we ask you to take this simple first step:
Visit rastavillage.com and leave your email address.
So we can stay in touch, and let you know when the time to act arrives.
This Is Not the End
Whether you’ve shared a chant by the river, sat in circle under the stars, or dreamed of visiting one day—your presence matters.
Your support matters.
Your belief in sacred space, cultural sovereignty, and Earth-based living matters.
This is not the end of our story.
This is a moment to deepen the connection.
One Love and Gratitude,
The Family of Rastafari Indigenous Village
